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Topic Review (Newest First)

06-01-2011 07:48 PM

carl762

I've been using a Foodsaver for years. Use it extensively to save cash on meats (I seal, then freeze).

I used it to keep camping clothes dry and sealed up many a meal to reheat by boiling, snipping open the top of the bag and eating directly from the bag or dumping on a paper plate.

Now that I own a boat, I'll use it much the same way. I definitely plan on sealing up spare parts to keep on board.

Never purchased the bags and have exclusively made my own from the rolls. They go a long way. I also use the sealable containers for use at home, sealing up salads and veggies. There's even a marinator tray that does a great job of quickly marinating meats. Rather than having to keep in fridge overnight, this baby sucks the marinade into the meats under vacuum. Geat time saver.

I want to upgrade, as my machine is getting a little tired.

Finally, sometimes I use a little rolled up paper towel in the bag to keep really juicy stuff from being sucked into the tray. Works like a charm.

05-23-2011 11:12 AM

Jace2

I got mine at a pretty good price . . . 1$. Don't recall the brand and I don't have it on hand, just now. Foodsaver, I think. It was a church yard/parking lot sale. I had a problem with the vacuum just going on and on and not sealing, too. But I found that if I take a liberally damp cloth and wipe the rubber gasket down, it seals fine. I do have a problem with the seal separating sometimes, but hey, at a buck, I can live with that.

03-12-2011 06:26 PM

VetMike

I would also suggest getting the best one. I have a Seal A Meal and have bags in rolls which lets me custom size them. As someone else noted, meats MUST be frozen even if sealed.
Spare parts and special tools can also be sealed in these bags which will protect them and keep them in one place although I just use regular ziplock bags for that. I've not found anything yet as far as parts go that needs the vacuum seal.
When I deployed to Pakistan, I sealed a change of underwear and socks in a bag and a uniform in a larger bag. Kept them clean and dry and they took up less space. This could be handy on a boat.

02-20-2011 03:27 PM

KnottyGurl

I have a sealer that use's rolls as well, so we can design anything from it. I got bored one weekend and grabbed the instant coffee, sugar and creamer, put a spoon of coffee, a sugar and creamer in it sealed it and made a hundred perfect instant coffees ready to serve. made making coffee under way simple boil and add pack. I also invested in a great dehydrator for jerky and drying fruits and veggies, some of those farmers markets have the best veggies so before we could only get what we could eat in a few days, now I just buy a crapload, dehydrate and package up. makes for great soups, stews, snaks and pre packing to a meal size allowed me to buy in bulk and reap the savings and long lasting storage. well worth the little space they take up.
Bill

02-19-2011 07:39 AM

CarolynShearlock

I had one the whole time we were cruising full-time and loved it. Unfortunately, the brand went out of business and I can't find another one similar to it (when we sold the boat, the new owners wanted the one I had).

If you use it at all frequently, you're likely to spend more on bags than on the sealer. I went with one that used "commercial" grade bags instead of the FoodSaver ones as they cost only about 6 cents a bag (they may be slightly higher now) and I could buy them in "broken packages" of 100 in each of several various sizes.

I didn't use it for leftovers -- didn't want to be getting it out all the time. But I used it all the time for meat (packed it raw, then froze), cheese (sealed it right over the wrapper -- it would stay good up to 4 months), and various other things that I wanted to store for several months.

We also used it for the engine and water filters -- saved us when we had a water hose leak that would have ruined a number of them stored in the same locker.

And don't forget to put a couple of rolls of TP in a sealed bag -- if you should get a leak in the locker where you store the TP, you'll be REALLY unhappy if you don't have a dry roll!

If you have the electricity or will use the vacuum sealer only at the dock with shore power, it's really wonderful. Just be sure to measure the storage space before you decide which model to get. Wish the brand I had was still being made -- it was wonderful and not too big.

02-02-2011 04:43 PM

travlineasy

Mine is a Food-Saver, I've had it a long time, the number of bags that came with the machine was incredible, it always seals, and it is recommended that you DO NOT try to seal frozen foods. The reason being is that if the food is frozen the bag does not conform nearly as well to the shape of the food and could leave small air pockets. Soft items, such as meat, fish, poultry, always conform air free and always seal completely. As for wearing a hole in the bag while sailing, NAH! That's not gonna' happen, at least with the heavy-duty bags that were supplied by the manufacturer.

Good Luck,

Gary

02-02-2011 04:21 PM

sailingdog

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minnewaska

It must be your machine. I can see the juice run up the bag as the vacuum comes on, but it seals right through it. There is even a place for the extracted liquid to collect right behind the sealer, so it clearly expects there to be some.

That's the way my vacuum sealer works as well... it definitely has a tray for the run off...

02-02-2011 04:08 PM

Minnewaska

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquaman9

Everytime I have tried mine for chicken or fish the juices suck up to the top and my machine will not seal it all the way. I've tried placing napkins at the top to stop it but have never had any luck. I have done fish filets by adding water into the bag and then sealing it without the pump and that has worked some. Maybe I need to shop for a new machine also.

It must be your machine. I can see the juice run up the bag as the vacuum comes on, but it seals right through it. There is even a place for the extracted liquid to collect right behind the sealer, so it clearly expects there to be some.

02-02-2011 02:36 PM

erps

Quote:

Everytime I have tried mine for chicken or fish the juices suck up to the top and my machine will not seal it all the way.

I've had that happen too and I've patted the meat dry with paper towel and placed a paper towel barrier near the top of the bag to prevent it. It is something that you have to watch out for though.

02-02-2011 02:11 PM

aquaman9

Everytime I have tried mine for chicken or fish the juices suck up to the top and my machine will not seal it all the way. I've tried placing napkins at the top to stop it but have never had any luck. I have done fish filets by adding water into the bag and then sealing it without the pump and that has worked some. Maybe I need to shop for a new machine also.

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